Meredith Nnoka Wins the 2022 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize
We are honored to announce that Herman Beavers has selected Meredith Nnoka as the winner of the 2022 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Cave Canem Chapbook Prize. Nnoka will receive…
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Cave Canem at AWP 2023!
Cave Canem is attending the 2023 AWP Conference in Seattle, Washington! This year, the conference runs from March 8-March 11, 2023. If you plan to attend AWP, say hello at…
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Cave Canem and CAAPP are Pleased to Announce the Cultural Preservation Project
BROOKLYN, New York (February 2, 2023)— In celebration of Black History Month 2023, Cave Canem and the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics (CAAPP) are pleased to announce the…
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Spring 2023 Season Announcement
This spring, Cave Canem brings into focus poets working in the deep groove of their subject’s interiority. The spring season opens with Robin Coste Lewis‘s To the Realization of Perfect Helplessness, in…
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Cave Canem Expands Regional Workshops Nationwide
With support from the Poetry Foundation, Cave Canem’s 2023 Regional Workshops are now available to participants outside of New York City. This year, Spring 2023 workshops will take place in…
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Fellows & Faculty Fund Expanded to Include Project Grants
BROOKLYN, New York (January 4, 2023) — Cave Canem established the Fellows & Faculty Fund in 2020, originally to help support members of our community during a time of global…
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Roger Reeves Will Judge 2023 Starshine and Clay Fellowship
BROOKLYN, New York (January 2, 2023) — Cave Canem and EcoTheo Collective are pleased to announce that submissions are open for the 2023 Starshine and Clay Fellowship, which provides creative…
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CONCENTRATE is Anti-erasure: An Interview with Courtney Faye Taylor
2021 Cave Canem Prize Winner Fellow: 2022 Rachel Eliza Griffiths selected Courtney Faye Taylor as the winner of the 2021 Cave Canem Poetry Prize for her manuscript Concentrate, published by…
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Apply to the Cave Canem Fellowship
BROOKLYN, N.Y., November 10, 2022 — The application is now open for the Cave Canem Fellowship. Black poets, ages 21 and over, are eligible to apply. There is no submission…
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Herman Beavers Will Judge 2022 Toi Derricotte And Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize
BROOKLYN, New York., October 7, 2022 — Submissions are now open for the 2022 Toi Derricotte And Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize. This year’s judge is Herman Beavers. The deadline for…
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Join Cave Canem at 2022 Dodge Poetry Festival
Cave Canem Presents Anticenter: Black Poetic Composition at the Margins with Quenton Baker, Chekwube Danladi & Anastacia-Reneé 2022 Dodge Poetry Festival October 22, 2022 at 11:00-12:10PM Newark Museum, Billy Johnson…
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ARIANA BENSON WINS 2022 CAVE CANEM POETRY PRIZE
BROOKLYN, New York., Sept. 7, 2022 — Willie Perdomo has selected Ariana Benson as the winner of the 2022 Cave Canem Poetry Prize for her manuscript Black Pastoral. Benson will…
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Explore African American Sonnets with Reginald Harris
Regional Workshop (NYC): “all swirl and pivot:” African-American Sonnets with Reginald Harris Mondays, 6:00PM – 9:00PM | Public Reading December 5 Cave Canem Foundation Visit our Submittable page to Apply…
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Engage Poetry Without The Poem
In Conversation: Simone White & The Friend 6:00PM – 7:30PM The New School RSVP for Virtual Only Event Simone White and The Friend discuss White’s newly released book or, on…
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Fall 2022 Season Announcement
In the last two and a half years, it seems for some that time has stood still or, for others, disappeared. Our individual and collective memory for the duration of a…
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2022 Starshine and Clay Fellows
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK (August 1, 2022) — Cave Canem and EcoTheo Collective are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Starshine…
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2022 Retreat Class Photo
Our 2022 Retreat was Cave Canem’s first Retreat since 2019 (postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions). Also, this year’s Retreat was Cave Canem’s first free Retreat. Lisa Willis, Executive Director of…
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Juneteenth with Cave Canem at The Met
Our nation’s newest holiday is indeed cause to celebrate. For many Black people, Juneteenth represents freedom at a greater depth than Independence Day. Hopefully, in times to come, it will…
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Cave Canem’s Getting Word Book List
In preparation for #Juneteenth, read the work of Black Authors curated by Cave Canem poets, a member of the historic Getting Word Coalition! 10% of your purchase will be contributed to…
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Getting Word: Black Literature for Black Liberation
on July 4th, we remember that American independence did not mean Black liberation. Getting Word’s campaign to #FundBlackLiterature is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the vitality and resilience…
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Cave Canem & New York Botanical Garden Present African American Garden: Remembrance and Resilience
The last decade has given rise to many conversations about African American contributions to the national cuisine, so the opening of African American Garden: Remembrance & Resilience is…
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The 2022 Cave Canem Retreat is Free!
It is our great pleasure to announce that in honor of Cave Canem’s 25th Anniversary, the Cave Canem Board of Directors and our Executive Director have determined this year’s annual…
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Announcing 2022 Cave Canem/Maison Baldwin Fellow Ashunda Norris
Check out our new partnership with La Maison Baldwin! We’ve joined forces to create the Cave Canem/Maison Baldwin Fellowship— an opportunity for an LGBTQ+ Cave Canem fellow. Our inaugural winner…
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Welcome Dante Micheaux & Matthew Raybeam to the Cave Canem Team!
We are delighted to announce new staff additions to the Cave Canem Team! Dante Micheaux will be joining us as our Director of Programs. Matthew Raybeam joins us as our…
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Cave Canem at AWP 2022!
Join us at the 2022 AWP Conference & Bookfair March 23-26, 2022! We are excited to bring our year-long 25th Anniversary Celebration to Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. If you plan to…
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Welcoming Dante Micheaux as 25th Anniversary Curator & Artistic Advisor
We are delighted to announce that Dante Micheaux will be joining us as our 25th Anniversary Curator & Artistic Advisor! Dante Micheaux is the author of Amorous Shepherd and Circus, which won the Four Quartets Prize from…
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Welcoming Stephanie George as Development Manager
We are so excited to welcome Stephanie George as Development Manager here at Cave Canem! Stephanie George is a storyteller, curator, and grassroots fundraiser, from the Bronx, NY. She has…
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Demetrius “Meech” Buckley Wins 2021 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize
We are honored to announce that Lillian-Yvonne Bertram has selected Demetrius “Meech” Buckley as the winner of the 2021 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Cave Canem Chapbook Prize for his…
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Willie Perdomo to Judge 2022 Cave Canem Poetry Prize
Submissions are now open for the 2022 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, to be judged by Willie Perdomo. The annual contest is dedicated to the discovery of first books by Black…
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Cave Canem in the Press: CNN Style
October 17, 2021—Cave Canem was featured in the CNN Style article titled “Poetry is experiencing a new golden age, with young writers of color taking the lead” Cave Canem Foundation,…
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Announcing our Fall 2021 Season
We are delighted to share our virtual Fall 2021 public programs! In addition to our amazing reading series and craft talks, this season features two new partnerships and special 25th…
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Courtney Faye Taylor Wins 2021 Cave Canem Poetry Prize
Rachel Eliza Griffiths has selected Courtney Faye Taylor as the winner of the 2021 Cave Canem Poetry Prize for her manuscript Concentrate. Taylor will receive $1,000 and publication by Graywolf Press…
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Lillian-Yvonne Bertram to Judge the 2021 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize
Submissions are now open for the 2021 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize, to be judged by Lillian-Yvonne Bertram. The annual contest is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional chapbook-length manuscripts…
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Lisa Willis Appointed Interim Executive Director
The Board of Directors of Cave Canem Foundation, Inc., North America’s premier home for Black poetry, is pleased to announce that Lisa Willis has been appointed the organization’s Interim Executive…
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Join us at the Cave Canem 25th Anniversary Reunion!
Cave Canem is pleased to announce the Cave Canem 25th Anniversary Reunion, a virtual gathering taking place June 13-19, 2021. The reunion is in celebration of the Cave Canem Fellowship…
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Introducing the Inagural Starshine and Clay Fellows
Cave Canem and the EcoTheo Collective are pleased to announce that Gregory Pardlo has selected Michael Frazier, Asmaa Jama, Oak Morse, and Ashunda Norris for the inaugural Starshine and Clay…
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New Dreams, a Folio of Poems Centering the Environment
Cave Canem and Lambda Literary announce the publication of New Dreams, a folio of commissioned poems by Kay Ulanday Barrett, Bernard Ferguson, torrin a. greathouse, and Khadijah Queen that center the environment.…
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Rachel Eliza Griffiths to Judge 2021 Cave Canem Poetry Prize
Submissions are now open for the 2021 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, to be judged by Rachel Eliza Griffiths. The annual contest is dedicated to the discovery of first books by…
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Hallelujah-strong: In Honor of Former Board President Amanda Johnston
Cave Canem recently celebrated the election of new executive officers to our Board of Directors. With this transition, we also uplift the work of outgoing executive officers, including former Board…
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Brionne Janae Wins 2020 Cave Canem Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize
Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon has selected Brionne Janae’s Blessed are the Peacemakers as the winner of the 2020 Cave Canem Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize. The biennial award is for a…
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Gifts of the Archivists: Cultivating Community
Remica Bingham-Risher There are fewer memories clearer for me during the time just after grad school than the evening Naomi Long Madgett called to tell me I’d won the book…
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Cave Canem Launches Notebooks & Pens
Notebooks & Pens is a passionate community of recurring donors that help to transform the literary arts into a field where Black poets thrive, and impact the lives of readers…
Read MoreAnnouncing our spring 2021 season!
We’re delighted to share our spring 2021 season! As we continue to add to the list of events included here, we look forward to kicking off the season with “Writers’ Worktable:…
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Board of Directors Elects New Executive Officers
Cave Canem’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce its recently elected executive officers. Tyehimba Jess will serve as president, Novella Ford and Cornelius Eady as co-vice presidents, Allen Drexel…
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Cave Canem South: Reflections of Black Literary Activism
Kwame Dawes Cave Canem South In the mid-2000s, I put together a proposal for Cave Canem to consider the establishment of a series of short workshops that focused on the…
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Wale Ayinla Wins 2020 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize
Mahogany L. Browne has selected Wale Ayinla as the winner of the 2020 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize for his manuscript To Caste a Dream. Browne notes: “The collection, To…
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Announcing the Starshine and Clay Fellowship for Emerging Black Poets
Cave Canem, EcoTheo Review, and LOGOS Poetry Collective are pleased to announce the launch of the Starshine and Clay Fellowship, a new initiative providing financial and development support to emerging…
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Cave Canem Welcomes Development Manager Lisa Willis
The Board of Directors of Cave Canem Foundation, Inc., North America’s premier home for Black poetry, is pleased to welcome Lisa Willis as the organization’s first full time Development Manager. She…
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Announcing our fall 2020 season!
Cave Canem is pleased to announce our fall 2020 season! We are delighted to kick off the fall with Douglas Kearney, who will present “I Killed, I Died: Banter, Self-Destruction,…
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Aurielle Marie Wins 2020 Cave Canem Poetry Prize
Douglas Kearney has selected Aurielle Marie as the winner of the 2020 Cave Canem Poetry Prize for her manuscript Gumbo Ya Ya. Kearney notes: “Some writers write poetry to flex…
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5 Debut Queer Poets on What to Read for the Sealey Challenge
Poet Nicole Sealey, former executive director of Cave Canem, began the Sealey Challenge as a way to seriously commit to reading poetry in spite of artistic, professional,…
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Mahogany L. Browne to Judge the 2020 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize
Cave Canem is pleased to announce that Cave Canem fellow Mahogany L. Browne will judge the 2020 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize, an annual prize dedicated to the…
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Dear Editor——: An Open Letter from Douglas Kearney
Scant days after Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd on May 25, 2020, I received an email from an editor of an online magazine. The email was a request to respond…
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Message of Hope from Toi Derricotte
Dear Cave Canem Community, Many of us are hurting right now. From where I am in New Orleans, I can hear the outrage of many communities across the country. I…
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Ann Marie Lonsdale Appointed Cave Canem Foundation’s Fourth Executive Director
The Board of Directors of Cave Canem Foundation, Inc., North America’s premier home for Black poetry, is pleased to announce that Ann Marie Lonsdale has been named the organization’s fourth Executive Director. Lonsdale replaces Sandra Bowie, who served as Interim Executive Director following the departure of Nicole Sealey in June 2019.
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National Poetry Month: Staff Book Picks
As always, our staff has also been discovering new books and returning to old favorites. Here is a list of what we’ve been getting into this month, with hopes that this glimpse into our reading practices inspires you to find new reads for the months ahead.
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DOGBYTES Interview: Marissa Davis
Marissa Davis is a poet and translator from Paducah, Kentucky, currently residing in Brooklyn, New York. Her original poems have appeared in The Carolina Quarterly, Rattle, The Iowa Review, Sundog…
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Submit to the 2020 Cave Canem Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize
The 2020 Cave Canem Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize is now open for submissions! Launched in 2009, the prize is a second-book award for black poets of African descent, offered every…
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Literary Balms: A Virtual Community Writing Project
This week, Cave Canem has been taking steps to ensure the safety of our staff and the poets we serve during the COVID-19 pandemic. But we have also been thinking…
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Malcolm H. Tariq Appointed Cave Canem Foundation Programs & Communications Manager
Brooklyn, NY (24 February 2020)—The Board of Directors of Cave Canem Foundation, Inc., North America’s premier home for Black poetry, is pleased to announce that Malcolm Tariq has been appointed…
Read More Announcing the Winner of the 2019 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize
Cave Canem congratulates Marissa Davis, whose manuscript, My Name & Other Languages I Am Learning How to Speak, has been selected by prize judge Danez Smith as winner of the 2019 Cave…
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Submit to the 2020 Cave Canem Poetry Prize
The 2020 Cave Canem Poetry Prize is now open for submission! Launched in 1999 with Rita Dove’s selection of Natasha Trethewey’s Domestic Work, this first-book award is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional…
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Poet of the Week: Samantha Thornhill
Bring Back Bring back the brown faces missing from milk cartons. Bring back our lost, our girls from Accra, Laventille, Gugulethu & the Bronx; dredge them up from swamps on…
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Cave Canem’s Fall Season Kicks Off with Poets at the End of the World
An overflowing room of more than 65 attendees gathered in Cave Canem’s Brooklyn loft on August 13, 2019 for Cave Canem’s first event of the fall season: an intimate and…
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A Spotlight on the Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize
This year, Cave Canem will open its fifth annual Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize. Established in 2015 by Cave Canem fellow and former Executive Director Nicole Sealey, in collaboration…
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The 2019 Cave Canem Retreat Album!
Cave Canem’s week-long retreat for Black poets at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg took place June 9 –15, 2019, and brought together writers from diverse poetic traditions. The retreat…
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Reflecting on “Yusef Komunyakaa: A Celebration”
On May 11, 2019, an audience of more than 300 gathered at New York University for a day-long tribute to the living legend, poet Yusef Komunyakaa. The tribute began with…
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Cave Canem at AWP Portland
This past March, Cave Canem joined hundreds of literary institutions and thousands of writers for the AWP conference in Portland, Oregon. Cave Canem’s first stop on March 27 was at Literary Arts,…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Kwoya Fagin Maples
Kwoya Fagin Maples’ debut poetry collection, MEND, (University Press of Kentucky, 2018) was finalist for the AWP Prize and received a grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation. Maples holds an MFA…
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Letter from the Executive Director
Dear Cave Canem Family & Friends, As we look toward the 25th anniversary, it is remarkable to think that Cave Canem was once just an idea of our forward-thinking founders…
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Party for the People: A Recap
On Thursday March 14, Amarachi—a Black-owned, Brooklyn-based restaurant—hosted Party for the People, a poetry pop-up dance party co-presented by Cave Canem and Lambda Literary, founding members of the Poetry Coalition. The party…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Christopher Rose
Christopher Rose is originally from Seattle, Washington. His poems have appeared in Crabfat, Chelsea Station, Fjords Review, The Pariahs Anthology, Yellow Chair Review, TAYO Literary Magazine, The Hawaii Review, Drunk…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Myronn Hardy
Myronn Hardy is the author of five books of poems: Approaching the Center, winner of the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award, The Headless Saints, winner of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, Catastrophic Bliss,…
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Cave Canem Visits Beinecke Library at Yale University
Fall of 2014 marked a critical moment in Cave Canem’s institutional history: the organization’s archives—which contain a number of print and digital materials documenting Cave Canem’s history, growth and impact—were…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Teri Ellen Cross Davis
Teri Ellen Cross Davis is the author of Haint (Gival Press, 2017), winner of the 2017 Ohioana Book Award for Poetry. She has been awarded residencies at Hedgebrook, the Soul…
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Cave Canem Board Transition Announcement
Dear Friends of Cave Canem, I am writing to inform the Cave Canem community that I will be passing the honor of serving as the President of the Cave Canem…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Karisma Price
Karisma Price is a Cave Canem fellow and 2018 Best of the Net Nominee. Born and raised in New Orleans, LA, she holds a BA in creative writing from Columbia…
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Cave Canem Year in Review: 2018
The New Year brings with it reflection on the past and anticipation for the future. As we welcome what’s ahead, we also take the time to both acknowledge and celebrate…
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A Look Back at the Cave Canem Poetry Prize
This November, Cave Canem fellow Julian Randall takes to the mic to share work from his Cave Canem Poetry Prize-winning debut Refuse (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2018), selected by Hurston/Wright…
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Apply to the 2019 Cave Canem Retreat!
Cave Canem’s week-long retreat will be held at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, June 9 – June 15, 2019. This year’s world-class faculty includes poets Cornelius Eady, Ruth Ellen Kocher, Dawn Lundy…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Dustin Pearson
Dustin Pearson is the author of Millennial Roost (Eyewear Publishing, 2018), and a McKnight Doctoral Fellow in Creative Writing at Florida State University. The recipient of fellowships from Cave Canem…
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Cave Canem’s Anti-Oppression Series
Last fall Cave Canem hosted its first ever anti-racism workshop facilitated by poet, social justice advocate and fellow Ama Codjoe. As part of our Lecture & Master Class series, “Walking…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Safiya Sinclair
Safiya Sinclair is a poet and librettist born and raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica. She is the author of Cannibal (University of Nebraska Press, 2016), winner of a Whiting Writers’…
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Cave Canem and the Brooklyn Museum Present Soul of a Nation Reading Series
Since 2016, Cave Canem and the Brooklyn Museum have partnered to produce readings that bring together lovers of poetry and visual arts alike. Offered as part of the Museum’s First…
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Dogbytes Interview: Lillian-Yvonne Bertram
Lillian-Yvonne Bertram is the author of Personal Science (Tupelo Press, 2017); a slice from the cake made of air (Red Hen Press, 2016); and But a Storm is Blowing From Paradise (Red Hen Press, 2012), chosen by…
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A Look into Cave Canem’s Poets Tour Program
Cave Canem’s Poets Tour provides opportunities for Cave Canem fellows to share their work with diverse audiences and help sustain the nation’s premier home for Black poetry. Through the program,…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Dawn Lundy Martin
Dawn Lundy Martin is a poet, essayist, and conceptual-video artist. She is the author of four books of poems: Good Stock Strange Blood (Coffee House, 2017); Life in a Box is a Pretty Life (Nightboat…
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Submit to the 2018 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize
The 2018 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize is now open for submission! Launched in 2015, the prize is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional chapbook-length manuscripts by Black…
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Announcing the Winner of the 2018 Cave Canem Poetry Prize
Cave Canem congratulates Malcolm Tariq, whose manuscript Heed the Hollow has been selected by prize judge Chris Abani as winner of the 2018 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Abani notes that the collection…
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Apply to Cave Canem’s Fall 2018 Workshops
Applications are now open for Cave Canem’s fall 2018 workshops! Since 1999, these free and low-cost community-based workshops for Black writers and writers of color have offered rigorous instruction and…
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Highlights from Cave Canem’s Working Fellowship and Internship Program
Designed to cultivate the next generation of arts administrators of color, the working fellowship and internship program at Cave Canem teaches fellows and interns the ins and outs of nonprofit…
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The 2018 Retreat Album
Cave Canem’s week-long retreat, held annually at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, offers an unparalleled opportunity for Black poets to study with a world-class faculty and join a community…
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Revisiting “A Tribute to June Jordan”
Last month, Cave Canem fellows, faculty and friends convened at The CUNY Graduate Center for A Tribute to June Jordan, a day-long celebration of the writer’s work and life. Poet…
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Announcing the Winner of the 2018 Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize
Cave Canem and Northwestern University Press congratulate Tsitsi Jaji on receiving the 2018 prize for her second book of poems, Mother Tongues, selected by Matthew Shenoda. The Cave Canem Northwestern…
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The National Endowment for the Arts Finds that Poetry Reading is on the Rise
Brooklyn, NY (June 8, 2018)— Yesterday, the National Endowment for the Arts released information confirming that poetry reading is on the rise. Specifically, according to the NEA’s Director of Research and Analysis…
Read More Introducing the 2018 Cave Canem Fellows!
With the 2018 Retreat fast approaching it is a pleasure to introduce this year’s 2018 Retreat fellows, both new and returning!
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DOGBYTES interview: Layla Benitez-James
Layla Benitez-James is an artist and translator living in Alicante, Spain. Her chapbook, God Suspected My Heart Was a Geode But He Had to Make Sure, published by Jai-Alai Books,…
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DOGBYTES interview: Aaron Coleman
A Cave Canem Fellow and Fulbright Scholar from Metro-Detroit, Aaron Coleman is the winner of the Tupelo Quarterly Poetry Contest, The Cincinnati Review Schiff Award, and the American Literary Translator…
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Cave Canem at AWP Tampa
Earlier this month, Cave Canem joined hundreds of literary institutions and thousands of writers in Tampa, Florida for the annual AWP conference. Cave Canem kicked off the week with its Annual…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Derrick Austin
A Cave Canem fellow and Assistant Poetry Editor at Memorious, Derrick Austin’s poems and essays can be found in numerous publications such as Best American Poetry 2015, New England Review, Image:…
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Cave Canem’s Fellows & Faculty Exquisite Corpse
Throughout the month of March, Poetry Coalition members will present multiple programs on the theme “Where My Dreaming and My Loving Live: Poetry & the Body,” which borrows a line from U.S. Poet Laureate…
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History as Muse: A Review of Tyehimba Jess’ Master Class
On the evening of Thursday, February 1st, Cave Canem’s DUMBO office was filled with ragtime and jazz as participants in “Poetry’s Musical Bloodline: A Sociohistorical Soundtrack,” settled into their seats.…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Yolanda Wisher
Named the inaugural Poet Laureate of Montgomery County Pennsylvania in 1999 and the third Poet Laureate of Philadelphia in 2016, Yolanda Wisher is a Cave Canem fellow whose work has…
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DOGBYTES interview: Ama Codjoe
Ama Codjoe has received fellowships from Cave Canem Foundation and Callaloo Writers Workshop. Her Pushcart Prize nominated poems have appeared in African Voices, Tidal Basin Review, Pluck!, Washington Square, Apex Magazine and are forthcoming in Callaloo. As the former…
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Cave Canem Wins $100,000 Spark Prize
Cave Canem Foundation has been named a recipient of Brooklyn Community Foundation’s annual Spark Prize, a distinction that includes a grant award of $100,000 in general operating support. Now in…
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Support the Home for Black Poetry
“…when you look at all the poets whose work has blossomed under the arbor of Cave Canem, you see an actual transformation of American literature. It’s been the most extraordinary…
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DOGBYTES Interview: t’ai freedom ford
t’ai freedom ford is a New York City high school English teacher and Cave Canem Fellow. Her poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Drunken Boat, No, Dear, The African…
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Apply to the 2018 Cave Canem Retreat!
Cave Canem’s week-long retreat will be held at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, June 10 – June 16, 2018. This year’s world-class faculty includes poets Chris Abani, Cornelius Eady, Evie Shockley, Amber…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Aricka Foreman
Aricka Foreman‘s poetry and prose have appeared in The Drunken Boat, Minnesota Review, RHINO, Day One, Phantom, shufPoetry, James Franco Review, thrush, Vinyl, PLUCK!, and Please Excuse This Poem: 100…
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Parneshia Jones Appointed President of Cave Canem’s Board of Directors
Cave Canem is thrilled to announce the appointment of Parneshia Jones as president of the Foundation’s board of directors. Jones’s term began October 1, 2017, and is preceded by that…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Darrel Alejandro Holnes
Cave Canem fellow Darrel Alejandro Holnes is the co-editor of On Poetics, Identity & Latinidad: CantoMundo Poets Speak Out, Happiness, The Delight-Tree: An Anthology of Contemporary International Poetry, co-author of…
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We’re Hiring!
Cave Canem is seeking two part-time working fellows to join its team in Brooklyn. Cave Canem Foundation, Inc. Founded in 1996 to remedy the isolation and under-representation of African American poets…
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The Poetry Coalition Receives $200,000 Ford Foundation Grant
As a founding member of the Poetry Coalition, Cave Canem Foundation is delighted to announce that the Ford Foundation has granted the Coalition $200,000 for nation-wide contemporary poetry programs focused…
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Cave Canem 20/20: A Celebration Both Timely and Profound
For Cave Canem Foundation and the two hundred attendees visiting Weeksville Heritage Center over this past Memorial Day weekend, Cave Canem 20/20: A Panoramic View of Black Poetry marked a…
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Tracy K. Smith Appointed 22nd U.S. Poet Laureate
Tracy K. Smith, recipient of the 2002 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, has been named the 22nd U.S. Poet Laureate. During her term, Smith hopes to expand the reach of poetry…
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DOGBYTES Interview: John Murillo
John Murillo’s first poetry collection, Up Jump the Boogie, was a finalist for both the 2011 Kate Tufts Discovery Award and the PEN Open Book Award. His other honors include a 2011…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Clint Smith
Clint Smith is a writer and doctoral candidate at Harvard University and has received fellowships from Cave Canem, the Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop, and the National Science Foundation. He is…
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#SaveTheNEA
Cave Canem Foundation, in league with members of the Poetry Coalition and other arts organizations across the U.S., is committed to challenging the proposed defunding of the National Endowment for…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Tara Betts
Tara Betts is the author of Break the Habit and Arc & Hue. Her chapbooks include the upcoming Never Been Lois Lane; 7 x 7: kwansabas; and THE GREATEST!: An…
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Nicole Sealey Appointed Cave Canem Foundation Executive Director
The Board of Directors of Cave Canem Foundation, Inc., North America’s premier home for black poetry, is pleased to announce that Nicole Sealey has been appointed the organization’s next Executive…
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Poetry Organizations from Across the U.S. Join Together to Form Historic Coalition & Launch March 2017 Programs on Migration
December 6, 2016—Twenty nonprofit poetry organizations from across the United States have formed a historic coalition dedicated to working together to promote the value poets bring to our culture and…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Kyle Dargan
Kyle Dargan is the author of four collections of poetry, Honest Engine (2015), Logorrhea Dementia (2010), Bouquet of Hungers (2007) and The Listening (2003), all published by the University of Georgia…
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Lucille Clifton & Sonia Sanchez: Mirrors & Windows
In this Legacy Conversation from 2001, former faculty Lucille Clifton and Sonia Sanchez read and discuss their work with fellow Eisa Davis. “I borrow something from Rudine Sims who said…
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Freedom Now! A Success on October 19, 2016
Artistic Director Karma Mayet Johnson and her inter-generational village of poets and musicians rocked the stage on Wednesday, October 19, with an evening-long concert of artistic rebellion celebrating Cave Canem’s…
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Cave Canem Awarded the 2016 Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation
We’re pleased to announce that Cave Canem has been awarded the National Book Foundation’s 2016 Literarian Award, a $10,000 prize for outstanding service to the American literary community. The award…
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Cave Canem Seeks Grants Manager
Cave Canem Foundation seeks a Grants Manager to maintain a portfolio of current corporate, foundation, and government funding, and to research, identify and procure new sources of funding in all three areas.…
Read MoreCave Canem Seeks Executive Director
Cave Canem Foundation seeks an Executive Director to build on our successful 20-year history and lead our organization to continued cultural advancement. Applications accepted through October 10, 2016. Visit our Employment…
Read More We’re hiring: Apply for a working fellowship!
Cave Canem seeks an Amazon Literary Partnership Fellow. Learn more on our Employment page.
Read MoreAnd the Winners Are . . . Cave Canem Poetry Prize & Cave Canem Northwestern U. Press Poetry Prize
Cave Canem is pleased to announce that Kwame Dawes has selected Natalie J. Graham’s manuscript, Begin with a Failed Body, for the 2016 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Natalie will receive…
Read More ‘I’m With You’: Poetry Foundation marks 20 years of Cave Canem
In a new interview piece, Sara Ivry speaks with five members from the Cave Canem community. Co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady; faculty member Terrance Hayes; Rio Cortez, inaugural winner…
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Tina Chang & Tracy K. Smith’s conversation on poetry and friendship
In their talk at Cave Canem on May 19, “The Spirit That Is Charged: A Conversation about Poetry and Friendship,” Tina Chang and Tracy K. Smith offered a glimpse into…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Tyehimba Jess
Detroit native Tyehimba Jess’ first book of poetry, leadbelly, was a winner of the 2004 National Poetry Series. Library Journal and Black Issues Book Review both named it one of the…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Evie Shockley
2016 Cave Canem retreat faculty member Evie Shockley is the author of four collections of poetry—most recently, the new black, winner of the 2012 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in Poetry—as well as…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Camille Rankine
Camille Rankine’s first full-length collection of poetry, Incorrect Merciful Impulses was published by Copper Canyon Press in January 2016. She is the author of the chapbook Slow Dance with Trip Wire,…
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Cave Canem Poets Win Awards
Brooklyn, NY (12 May 2016)—Cave Canem Foundation, North America’s premier home for black poetry, congratulates seven recipients of prestigious national awards: fellows Rio Cortez, LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, Ross Gay,…
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DOGBYTES Interview: Jericho Brown
Jericho Brown is the recipient of a Whiting Writers Award and fellowships from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and the National Endowment for the Arts. His…
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Jacqueline Jones LaMon Elected President
JACQUELINE JONES LAMON ELECTED PRESIDENT OF CAVE CANEM FOUNDATION Brooklyn, NY (05 October 2015)—Cave Canem Foundation, North America’s premier home for black poetry, is pleased to announce that Jacqueline Jones LaMon…
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Gregory Pardlo wins 2015 Pulitzer for Digest
Brooklyn, NY (April 22, 2015)—Cave Canem Foundation, North America’s premier home for black poetry, congratulates Cave Canem fellow Gregory Pardlo, recipient of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his collection Digest,…
Read MoreToi Derricotte to Retire as President: Tribute Fund Established
TOI DERRICOTTE T O RETIRE A S PRESIDENT O F CAVE CANEM FOUNDATION Toi Derricotte Tribute Fund Established to Perpetuate Co‐founder’s Legacy Brooklyn, NY (21 September 2015)—Cave Canem Foundation, North…
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